Direction-indicator.



A. FRAUHIGER'.

, .DIREGTION INDICATOE. APPL'IoATmN FILBD M118, 1918.

Patemea July 14, 1914.

INVNTOR ffiw PA i

DRECTION-INDICATOR.

Lioaaaa.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July tli, figi/it,

Application filed January 18,-1913'. Serial No. 741,66l5.

useful Improvements in Direction-Indica-- tors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an indicator: The main object of tlns invention 1s to provide a simple, practical and compaotindicatinrv mechanism, .which is particularly7 adapted for application to automobilesand like Vehicles.

Another object of the invention isto pro vide means Controlled by the operator of the car for the purpose of indicating to pedes-` trians in general 'the intended ohrections of the car.

A further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of apparatus so as to decrease the difliculty of the traffic problem in erowded districts.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as and hcreina fter more fully deseribed claimed, having reference to the ac'company- 111,9; drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view partly brokenl away, showing the indicating` arn'i and opcrating' mecl'ia'nism and also the wiring dia- 1 Fig. 2 1s a cross- ,qram of the apparatus. section on the line X-X of Fin. 1. Fig. 3 a front view of a radiator showing: the application of the device.

-y referring to the drawings A indieates in `creneral a casing, the front portion of which is designed to resenible an indicatinlcr dinl as much as possible. Pivotally mountctl upon a double pivot 2 within the casing is an indicator arin weighted in the lower end as ut i, and also slotted as shown at 5, to allow the indicalor arin to rock to either one side or another upon the double pivot 2. rl`he rocking of the indicator arni from the central position indicated by dotted lines at.

B indicates a storage battery, or like means, which may be carried in any Convenient place on the car, 'and 9 indicates a feed wire which connects with a pair of terminals on the magnets, while the opposite terninals 10 and 10' areconnected by the wires 11, and 11' to separate terminals 1.'2 and 13 and a switch 14 mounted in a convenient position-near the operator; the third terminal 15 upon which a switch member 16 is mounted .being connected'by Wire 17 to the opposite terminal 18 of the battery B.

From the circuit here indicated it can be seen that the operator may energize main denergized to allow the indicator arm to resume its central position by moving the switch arm 16 to an intermediate position between the terminals 12 and 18.

The dial' face ofithe casing is divided off into four divisions or parts, indicated in Fig. 1, in'which 19 indicates a main central segmental part wherein the indicator arrn operates; 20 and, 21 two side extensions ing colored green while 21 is colored red; these colored parts being provided for the purpose of indicating the right and left hand'side of the machine; and a fourth part 22 'which is positioned between the extensions 20 and 21,and which is faced with a ground glass, or like material, and is provided for the purpose of displaying the number of the machine as at E23.

The device may be mounted in any convenient position where it'can easily be scen by pedestrians in general,`but preferably on the forward portion of the radiator, as indicated in Fig. 3, where it may be seoured in any suitable manner, as by the bolts 2 t'.

' Supposing the car, provided with a direc tion indicator construeted as previously (le.- scribed. is moving down the right hand side of a street, and that the driver dcchles to turn down the right-hand side'on the first stroetcrossing. he will then throw thel switch orin 1G into contact with the tcr-- minal 13 which will close the Circuit from the battery through the wires ll and O, and magnet 7 and energ-ize this. The energizing of the magnet will attract the armature 7' and indicator arm and rock it into the posii tion shown in Fig. l, where it registers with 8 by simply moving the switcharm 16 toof the terminals 12 or 13; or, both may re-' which are faced with colored glass, 20 bethe green colored extension on the dial face. The position of the indicator arm W111 thus inimediately indicate the intended directlon of the car. The moment the intended direction of the car has 'been indicated it will give pcdestrians 'in general, time to decide whether it is feasible or not to cross ahead of ;he car or give the car the right of way.

Pedestrian are, as a rule, often bawildered by the approach ofa''c'ar when n ot knowing the exact direction intended by' 1t'. Therefore, it can easily'be seen that the moment a sign is displayed indicating the d1- rection of travel of a car, it willjmake'it e'asie'r forpedestrians to make a quick 'decision' and step 'to one side `or another. I

' For' the purpos'e of making the ap'paratu's' 'equall'y eificient at'night,"^l have' 'provided rneans'for illuininatng the Tdial' face 'offthe indicator; the main face in`which'-the indicator arm swin'gs,`to`g,e`ther with the number displayi'ng face, being'` illuininated'by a'suitable light' as indicated 481:*24, lWhile `the` coli ored'extensi'on 'srfaces of the dia'l areillu minated' by' the 'separate'li'ghts indicatedi at and 26.' 'one-of the -lightyfa 24'; will aiw'ays be villu'r'nnfated to Lshow the' osition of the' indioator4 armfaiid 'the'="num `er`7of`the machine "drng'the a'a'rk'hur's 'of the ightg being 'placed 'on a'f circlitf' indicated by' 'the wires 27 1111(128 'H suitablel switcht 29 being' intrpos'ed -on'this'circuit' for -the "'purpose H fof 'controlling' theI current' flo'w' "throug'h 1- Banie. The' light 'bulbsf25 'and"26, provided.

1 'Fextension'surfaces of the dial' are also placed 'for the'purpose of illuminating' the colored -`o`n the circuit controlled on one side by the Wire `27,`fwhi1`e"'the opposite term'inals of the V -'1,ights25'nd126are connected' by wires '25/- and 26"*w'ith'the terminale of two sep'ara'te 'wit'ch members' '30' and'81', 'which in turn' 'are 'controlled through the' rocking'lmoverh'ent offtlie 'ndicator arm, to close the'circuit betweefl" one 'or the other' of the lightsfwhich- 'eV'ert-h'e ca's'e maybe; the doublel pivot-'member upon which the 'rocker' arm`=1`s r'nounted I 'being'honnected bv a return wire 32,''v'vhichl clo'ses'the circuit through the switch 29 back *to the battery. Thus it can be' seen that by 'energ'izing' the' magnet 7 `by throwing 'the switch arm' 16 into contact 'with'the terminal 13"on"the`swit ch, the'rocker arm will, b'e throw over to'registerl with the green' colored'ext'ension 'surface of the diaL' The Inoyement of -the lower end` of the indiatm'g arm when thrown into this position'will' close' the circuit 'with the` switch member 030 and thus complete the circuit through 'the wires 27 and 25', switch arrn, pivotimerr'ibers', and' wire 82, back to the battery.' The closing of this circuit by 'the rocking of `the arm thus illuminates the green colored extension surface of the dial, and will immediately indicate to pedestrians that'the i'car intends t turn to' the right.

However, if the driver should decide to continue to move in the .same direction or in a I straight line, he will throw the switch member 16 into an intermediate position between vcuit between both of the switch members 30 and 31, and thus cause both of the colored 'extension surface's of the dial to be illuminatedl Thepedestrian ,upon seeing-'the vdisplay of both the red and greenili4 hts Will immediately" know that the driver o the car intends to continue in a straight direction' The? switch In'ernbers''O andv 31' are suficiently'flexible to'contact'with'the lower portion of' the rocker' arrnwhen'this assumes its normalfpositior, indicated by` the dotted lines in' Fig. 1', and are lalso 'sufiiciently pli-v able to yield when the arm isvthrown'either to'cn'e sidefir another. w

'The 'light' circuit'is' *here shown a's being controll'edfiby the' switch 29, which maybe' vthrownofi` durin'g'theflight hours of the day,

as it is not necessaryto illurninate the1dial' face 'exce'ptafter dafirlnv lfThe'' energizing of the 'magnets is shown 'as controlledby'the 'switchi14, which; as' before-stated, is placed in a convenien't 'position near the operator where 'h'e*may? quickly th'rcw the switch arm 1'6 i-into one position or another 'the 'direction 'of the car.

*zi-The ap'paratus is neat in appearance, simple in construction, and reliab'le in action, 'and when positio'ned as shown` in Fig. 3;, is not of suflicient size' to interfere'with the action 'of the radiator. The materials and finish of the several parts of* the apparatus are such 'as experience and judgment of the nianufacturenmay 'dictate'v to indicate Having thus described 'my invention, what ent; is--` '1. I'Ii a' direction indicator, a'curved indicator face having difi'erently colored extensions'at the opposite ends, a weighted pointer having curved connected slots above the center of gravity, pivot pins forming beariugs about which the pointer is rockable to one side 'or the' other, armatures fixed to the point'er and inclined co-acting magnets, and means to alternately energize said magnets and rock the poin'ter to one end or the other of the indicator.

2. A direction indicator comprising in combination a casing, an indicator arm mounted on a double pivot within the casing, slots formed in the arm to allow the arm a free vrocking movement upon either pivot, a counterwoight on the lower end of the arm, a pair of armature members secured on the arm, a pair of magnets mountcd in the path of travel of the armature members, a face on the casing over which the arm is adapted to swing, eolored extension faces formed on the first named face with which the indicator arm is adapted to be brought into register, and means for energizing one or the other of the magnets to rock the indicator arm into register with one of the colored extensions.

3. A direction indicator for automobiles comprising in combination a casing, an indieator arm mounted on a double pivot within the casing, Curved slots formed in the arm to allow the arm a free rocking movement upon either pivot, al eounterweight on the lower end of the arm, a pair of armature members secured on the arm, a pair of magnets mounted in the path of travel of the armature members, a 'face on the c'asing over which the arm is adapted to swing, colored extension faces formed on the first-named faeewith which the indicator arm is adapted to be brought into register, means for energizing one or the other of the magnets to rock the indicator arm into register with one of the colored extension faces, means for illuminating the whole face of the indicator, the end portions of the indicator face being capable of illumination in unison with the change of position of the indicator arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARNOLD FRAUCHIGER.

Witnesses':

JOHN H. HERRING, W. W. HEALEY. 

